Proline residues in scavenger receptor-BI's C-terminal region support efficient cholesterol transport.

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) facilitate reverse cholesterol transport, a process in which HDL removes cholesterol from circulation and carries it to the liver for biliary excretion. Reverse cholesterol transport is also facilitated by HDL's high-affinity receptor, scavenger receptor-BI (SR-BI), by mechanisms that are not fully understood. To improve our understanding of SR-BI function, we previously solved the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) structure of a peptide encompassing amino acids 405-475 of SR-BI. This segment of SR-BI, that includes the functionally critical C-terminal transmembrane domain and part of the extracellular domain, also contains four conserved proline (Pro) residues. We hypothesized that these proline residues support SR-BI in a conformation that allows for efficient cholesterol transport. To test this, we generated individual Pro-to-alanine mutations in full-length SR-BI and transiently expressed the mutant receptors in COS-7 cells to measure the effects on SR-BI-mediated cholesterol transport functions. Our findings reveal that HDL cell association and uptake of HDL-cholesteryl esters are impaired by mutation of Pro-412, Pro-438, or the transmembrane proline kink residue (Pro-459). In addition, SR-BI-mediated cholesterol efflux and membrane cholesterol distribution are impaired by mutation of Pro-412 or Pro-438, indicating that these residues are essential for a fully functional SR-BI receptor. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Pro-408 is necessary for proper SR-BI expression, but mutation of Pro-408 does not cause SR-BI to become misfolded or rapidly degraded by the proteasome or the lysosome. We conclude that key proline residues play an important role in SR-BI function by allowing for the efficient transport of cholesterol between cells and HDL.

Epac Signaling Is Required for Cocaine-Induced Change in AMPA Receptor Subunit Composition in the Ventral Tegmental Area.

UNLABELLED: Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) and protein kinase A (PKA) are intracellular receptors for cAMP. Although PKA and its downstream effectors have been studied extensively in the context of drug addiction, whether and how Epac regulates cellular and behavioral effects of drugs of abuse remain essentially unknown. Epac is known to regulate AMPA receptor (AMPAR) trafficking. Previous studies have shown that a single cocaine exposure in vivo leads to an increase in GluA2-lacking AMPARs in dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). We tested the hypothesis that Epac mediates cocaine-induced changes in AMPAR subunit composition in the VTA. We report that a single cocaine injection in vivo in wild-type mice leads to inward rectification of EPSCs and renders EPSCs sensitive to a GluA2-lacking AMPAR blocker in VTA dopamine neurons. The cocaine-induced increase in GluA2-lacking AMPARs was absent in Epac2-deficient mice but not in Epac1-deficient mice. In addition, activation of Epac with the selective Epac agonist 8-CPT-2Me-cAMP (8-CPT) recapitulated the cocaine-induced increase in GluA2-lacking AMPARs, and the effects of 8-CPT were mediated by Epac2. We also show that conditioned place preference to cocaine was impaired in Epac2-deficient mice and in mice in which Epac2 was knocked down in the VTA but was not significantly altered in Epac1-deficient mice. Together, these results suggest that Epac2 is critically involved in the cocaine-induced change in AMPAR subunit composition and drug-cue associative learning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Addictive drugs, such as cocaine, induce long-lasting adaptions in the reward circuits of the brain. A single intraperitoneal injection of cocaine leads to changes in the composition and property of the AMPAR that carries excitatory inputs to dopamine neurons. Here, we provide evidence that exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac), a cAMP sensor protein, is required for the cocaine-induced changes of the AMPAR. We found that the effects of cocaine were mimicked by activation of Epac but were blocked by genetic deletion of Epac. Furthermore, cocaine-cue associative learning was impaired in mice lacking Epac. These findings uncovered a critical role of Epac in regulating the cellular and behavioral actions of cocaine.

Role of Protein Phosphatase 1 and Inhibitor of Protein Phosphatase 1 in Nitric Oxide-Dependent Inhibition of the DNA Damage Response in Pancreatic ß-Cells.

Nitric oxide is produced at micromolar levels by pancreatic ß-cells during exposure to proinflammatory cytokines. While classically viewed as damaging, nitric oxide also activates pathways that promote ß-cell survival. We have shown that nitric oxide, in a cell type-selective manner, inhibits the DNA damage response (DDR) and, in doing so, protects ß-cells from DNA damage-induced apoptosis. This study explores potential mechanisms by which nitric oxide inhibits DDR signaling. We show that inhibition of DDR signaling (measured by γH2AX formation and the phosphorylation of KAP1) is selective for nitric oxide, as other forms of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species do not impair DDR signaling. The kinetics and broad range of DDR substrates that are inhibited suggest that protein phosphatase activation may be one mechanism by which nitric oxide attenuates DDR signaling in ß-cells. While protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is a primary regulator of DDR signaling and an inhibitor of PP1 (IPP1) is selectively expressed only in ß-cells, disruption of either IPP1 or PP1 does not modify the inhibitory actions of nitric oxide on DDR signaling in ß-cells. These findings support a PP1-independent mechanism by which nitric oxide selectively impairs DDR signaling and protects ß-cells from DNA damage-induced apoptosis.

NMR Structure of the C-Terminal Transmembrane Domain of the HDL Receptor, SR-BI, and a Functionally Relevant Leucine Zipper Motif.

The interaction of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) with its receptor, scavenger receptor BI (SR-BI), is critical for lowering plasma cholesterol levels and reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease. The HDL/SR-BI complex facilitates delivery of cholesterol into cells and is likely mediated by receptor dimerization. This work describes the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to generate the first high-resolution structure of the C-terminal transmembrane domain of SR-BI. This region of SR-BI harbors a leucine zipper dimerization motif, which when mutated impairs the ability of the receptor to bind HDL and mediate cholesterol delivery. These losses in function correlate with the inability of SR-BI to form dimers. We also identify juxtamembrane regions of the extracellular domain of SR-BI that may interact with the lipid surface to facilitate cholesterol transport functions of the receptor.